So much for ESPN demoting Sage Steele because she’s conservative

Days before the NBA playoffs, ESPN made the surprising move to replace NBA Countdown host Sage Steele with SportsNation host Michelle Beadle.

Many observers, led by conservative media outlets, claimed ESPN was demoting Steele, an outspoken conservative, because of her views. The speculation about her future became so loud, ESPN president John Skipper took the extraordinary step of speaking out publicly in support of Steele.

"Sage has done a wonderful job for us in a number of important roles," Skipper said in a statement. "Sage definitively has a bright and long-term future at ESPN and my complete support."

It looks as if Skipper's support is about to pay off.

Michael McCarthy at the Sporting News reports that ESPN is shifting Steele into a prominent new morning role at the network, though no official position has been determined. ESPN declined to comment on the news.

"We haven't even hired a producer yet," Greenberg said last month. " I know people think I'm saying this just to say it, but we really have not officially decided to do this yet."

Steele could also end up hosting a morning SportsCenter that would replace the Mike & Mike simulcast that current airs on ESPN2.

The news couldn't have come at a better time for Steele, whose outspoken viewpoints have landed her in hot water among some viewers. Back in January, she was criticized by many sports reporters, including fellow ESPN talker Dan Le Batard, for complaining that a protest of President Trump's executive order on immigration at Los Angeles International Airport caused her to miss her flight.

Steele hopped on Instagram to vent her frustration at the crowd, saying she was sad so many protesters were happy with the disruption they were causing, adding, "Yes, immigrants were affected by this as well. Brilliant."

Steele also drew heat during the NFL season for criticizing Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans for protesting the national anthem.

Steele later expanded on her thoughts about the various anthem protests that occurred throughout the league in a lengthy Facebook post.

"Instead of praising or uplifting each other, way too many people of color choose to tear down, mock and spew hatred at other blacks who feel differently, think differently, or make decisions that are different from theirs," Steele wrote. "That, my friends, is hypocrisy at its best. Or should I say, it's hypocrisy at its worst."

Steele's new role comes as conservative critics — Breitbart is among the loudest — have blasted ESPN for its apparent hypocrisy in how it deals with its conservative hosts. They often point to the network's decision to fire Curt Schilling for posting conservative memes while not punishing hosts, such as Le Batard, Bomani Jones, and new SC6 hosts Michael Smith and Jemele Hill for often professing liberal views.

Last year, ESPN ordered its employees to not make political statements during the U.S. presidential campaign. But earlier this month, the network loosened its guidelines, recognizing it's also impossible in our current environment to avoid the obvious overlap among sports, politics and entertainment.

"The network whose acronym originally stood for 'Entertainment and Sports Programming Network' seems to be metaphorically reinserting the 'entertainment' into its programming," Billy Penn founder and current ESPN ombudsman Jim Brady wrote in a recent column. "ESPN has made it clear: It's not sticking to sports."